Extension collar for liquid containers such as paint cans



May 24, 1966 c. A. ROSENHAN 3,252,635

EXTENSION COLLAR FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS SUCH AS PAINT CANS Filed Sept 8, 196-1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 5

INVENTOR.

CORT A. ROSENHAN HIS ATTORNEY May 24, 1966 c. A. ROSENHAN EXTENSION COLLAR FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS SUCH AS PAINT CANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1964 7 INVENTOR CORT A. ROSENHAN BY 71 {M /4y w HlS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,252,635 EXTENSION CQLLAR FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS SUCH AS PAINT CANS Cort A. Rosenhan, Salt Lake City, Utah (7218 S. State, Midvaie, Utah) Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 3%,466 1 Claim. (Cl. 222527) This is a continuation-impact of the inventors copendin-g application entitled, Extension Collar for Liquid Container Such as Paint Cans, Serial No. 252,704, filed January 21, 1963, and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to extension collars for paint cans and other liquid containers and, more particularly, to a new and improved extension collar readily insert-able in and withdrawable from liquid containers to perform any one of a number of intended functions.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved extension collar for paint cans and other liquid containers, such extension collars serving as brush conditioning devices and collars which preclude the spilling of paint or other contents onto either the top of the can being used or elsewhere and which in general afford neat and convenient use of liquid containers such as paint cans.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved extension collar wherein the same includes a thin-walled neck portion or mounting portion which is distortable inwardly and adapted for engagement with the flanges or lips of paint can or other container mouths, and this in a manner such that convenient locking means may be provided to aid the retention of the extension collar in the container without impairing the ability of the user to withdraw the extension collar from the container with the use of very slight pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a deformable extension collar which is self-locking at the area of its nominally cylindrical base mounting portion intended for engagement with a container mouth.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a reversable extension collar which is self-locking at its cylindrical base mounting portion with a container mouth such as a paint can wherein such reversal is necessitated or otherwise desired to accommodate container mouths reduced somewhat in size from the nominal can opening size anticipated.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularly in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of an extension collar incorporating the principles of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of the extension collar of FIGURE 3: a representative half thereof is illustrated.

FIGURE 3A is an enlarged, fragmentary detail, principally in section and taken along the line 33 in FIG- URE .1, illustrating the intended configuration of the lower portion of the extension collar structure which forms the crux of the present invention.

FIGURE 3B is a diagram of the cross-section area shown in FIGURE 3A which is referenced as to dimension so that relative dimensions suggested for the practicing of the invention may be understood.

FIGURE 30 is a detail similar to FIGURE 3A, but illustrates that a certain portion of the cross-section of the extension collar at the inner bead thereof and thin wall section adjacent thereto may be joined together by a filleted area.

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FIGURE 4 is an elevation, partially cut away in section for convenience of illustration, of one type of paint can incorporating the extension collar of the present invention as an insert at the mouth thereof.

FIGURE 5 is similar to FIGURE 4, illustrating the extension collar of the invention as being inserted into the mouth of another type of container to provide a suflicient opening for access and to dab a brush being loaded with paint.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a flexible, or deformable, and resilient extension collar wherein the same is manipulated by the thumbs and fingers of the user so as to be reversed, this for insertion in the necks of paint cans of a size somewhat smaller than the nominal opening of a can for which the extension collar may have been specifically designed as to its usual (unreversed) outer periphery.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation, partially broken away and sectioned, of the extension collar of FIGURE 6 is inserted into the opening of a paint can, such opening being slightly smaller, propontionally, to that illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5.

In FIGURE 1 extension collar 10 is shown to include funnel portion 11 and base portion 12. Though it may be cylindrical, it is desirous that funnel portion 11 be pitched with respect to base portion 12 as illustrated in FIGURE 3A.

Base portion 12 in FIGURE 3A is shown to have a smooth, outer cylindrical surface of constant nominal (that is, undeformed) diameter throughout the extent of the base portion, and to include a thin-walled, neck portion 13, contiguous with funnel portion 11, and also an inwardly directed head 14, FIGURE 33 illustrates the various pertinent dimensions AF, R and wherein the following dimensions in inches are suggested for the re sults desired for the extension collar of the present invention: A equals .060, B equals .250, C equals .045, D equals .125, E equals .015, F equals .030, and R at chamfered insertion edge R equals .010. These dimensions will apply to extension collars intended in design for insertion in paint or other cans having an interior neck diameter of a nominal dimension of 3% inches through which the base portion 12 a few thousandths oversize relative to said nominal dimension will be inserted.

FIGURE 30 is similar to FIGURES 3A and 3B but illustrates that a filleted area 15 may be employed to join the bead 14' and thin wall neck portion 16 of a modifled base portion 12'.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate the insertion of the extension collar 10, whether taking the form shown in FIG- URES 3A and 3B or whether taking the form of that illustrated in that of FIGURE 3C, inserted in two types of liquid cans, the one having a flange lip 17 at top 18 as for can 16, and the other having a doubled-back lip 20 at too 21 of can 19.

The extension collar which comprises the funnel portion 11 and base portion 12 (or 12) is ideally molded from polyethylene, Teflon, or other suit-able plastic, albeit certain types of rubber and neoprene-type materials might be used as well. In any event, the material should have some resiliency and flexibility to it. The reason for such at R, see FIGURE 313, provides for the easy insertion of.

the neck portion 12 into the mouth of the can, and this notwithstanding the fact that the outside diameter of base portion 12 is a few thousandths oversize relative to the can mouth. The yielding nature of the material will be such that when the flanged edge 17 or double-back neck at 20 in FIGURES 4 and 5, respectively, comes into engagement with the thin wall neck portion 13 of base portion 12 of the extension collar, there will exist a slight annular depression at neck portion 13 an-gularly about base portion 12 to accommodate the can mouth pressing thereagainst and, accordingly, a slight outward urging of angular bead 14 as illustrated by dotted line DL in FIG- UR E 3A. The bead 14 now serves to retain the extension collar secured in place under a tight sealing engagement between thin-walled neck portion 13 and the cans rnouth. However, such slight distortion of the extension collar 10 at base portion 11 will not prevent the extension collar from being withdrawn at its base portion 12 from the mouth of the can in which it was previously inserted. The important thing is that the neck portion 13 be made thinner than annular bead 14 (and preferably thinner than the wall thickness of funnel portion 11. optionally) for only in this manner can this outward thrusting of annular bead 14 cause the retention of extension collar 10 by virtue of the inward distortion of neck portion 13 as the same accommodates the mouth of the can with which it is in engagement. Again, such deformation does not prevent the withdrawal of the extension collar from the can upon outward urging thereof from the can. The gradual withdrawal of base portion 12 from the can as at FIGURES 4 and will deform slightly such base portion until the same is entirely withdrawn from the can.

It is noted that the head is not disposed on the outside of the periphery of base portion 12. Were it so disposed, then the bead would definitely interfere with the release of extension collar from the can in which it was previously inserted. Not so in the case of the present invention wherein the retention bead is on the inside of the extension collar 10 and not on the outside. Thus, the bead 14 simply serves as a stiffener which by virtue of pressure of the cans neck upon thin-walled neck portion 13 of the extension collar, is urged outwardly to dotted line DL so as to lock the extension collar in position.

"With the extension collar inserted into a liquid container at FIGURES 4 and 5, then the can is ideally suited for a painter who does not wish to chance spilling paint, who needs a device for dabbing his paint brush, and who wishes to prevent the spilling of paint onto the top portion of the paint can which receives the pain-t can be lid thereof.

7 Unique advantages of the present invention are obtained'when the extension collar 10 thereof is fabricated from a resilient pliable, deformable material such as polyethylene or other plastic, or even a suitable elastomer. When so constructed, thenthe extension collar 10 in FIG- URE 6 may be reversed by the lower margin M being pushed through the upper margin M of the collar. Subsequently the collar may be inserted in a paint can 17 as illustrated in FIGURE 7' to accommodate the latter. I 1

The'reversable nature of the extension collar permits the same to be mounted into paint cans wherein the inner flange periphery of flange 17 may be reduced from that of standard sized cans as indicated in FIGURES 4 and 5. This also allows for manufacturing tolerances of the cans themselves.

When the extension collar is reduced and inserted in the can neck of FIGURE 7, then the upper shoulder S will now abut the under-surface of flange 17.

The'resilieut, deformable nature of the extension 001- lar permits easy removal thereof from the can neck when such removal is desired.

Accordingly, what is present in the present invention 7 is a novel extension collar which is readily insert-able in and easily withdrawable from a paint can or other liquid container, the same serving as a neck extension for the can to serve advantageously in several capacities.

While particular embodiments of the present invention havebeen shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim: v

A liquid container having an inwardly flanged mouth, and in combination therewith, an extension collar releasably inserted into said mouth and comprising a funnel portion and a deformable base portion, said base portion including an annular neck portion contiguous with said funnel portion and an inwardly directed annular bead spaced from said funnel portion by said neck portion, the outside diameter of said base portion being oversized with respect to but insertable in the mouth of said container, the wall thickness of said base portion at said annular bead being greater than the wall thickness of said neck portion, said neck portion and annular bead of said base portion beingconcent-ric and of equivalent nominal outside diameter, said neck portion being in releasable engagement with and temporarily indented by said liquid container at said mouth, said extension collar being fabricated from a deformable resilient material and being constructed and arranged'for complete reversal thereof so that said annular bead oan portrude radially outwardly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,243,636 5/ 1941' Kraetch 222-569 2,802,609 8/1957 Donovan. 3,01s,403 1/1962 Fuller 215-13 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. RAPHAEL s.v SCHWARTZ, Examiner. 

